Aspects of the disclosure are directed to apparatuses and methods involving a desiccant chamber and related componentry, as may be utilized for controlling humidity in electrical enclosures. As may be consistent with one or more embodiments, an environmental control module (ECM) includes a desiccant chamber with a desiccant material therein, first and second membranes in a pathway extending from the desiccant chamber and through respective openings in the ECM, and a gasket and enclosure on the ECM which seal the pathway. A seal in the pathway seals the opening in ECM leading to the first membrane and desiccant chamber during evacuation and fill of an electrical enclosure in which the ECM may be employed, and can be broken to couple the desiccant to the electrical enclosure.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus comprising: a chamber; a desiccant material contained within the chamber; a gas channel extending from a first end adjacent the chamber to a second end; at the first end of the gas channel, a first membrane configured and arranged to facilitate permeation of moisture-laden gas to and from the chamber; at the second end of the gas channel, a second membrane configured and arranged to facilitate permeation of moisture-laden gas into and out of the gas channel for controlling humidity within an enclosure environment; and a seal configured and arranged with the first and second membranes to: in a first state, provide a seal in the gas channel that prevents the permeation of gas between the chamber and the enclosure environment, and in a second state in which the seal is punctured, permit the permeation of gas between the chamber and the enclosure environment, via the respective first and second membranes.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a port configured and arranged to, while the seal is in the first state, facilitate exhaustion of gas from the enclosure environment and filling of gas into the enclosure environment, via the second end of the gas channel and the second membrane.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including a mechanical punch configured and arranged to puncture the seal while the port is permanently sealed.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first membrane is located between the seal and the chamber.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first membrane is in a pathway between the seal and the chamber, the pathway having a length and width that is configured and arranged to accept a punch that is passed through the seal for puncturing the seal with the first membrane being offset from the seal by a distance that prevents contact of the punch with the first membrane.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the chamber is within an environmental control module (ECM) having an upper surface and including the respective membranes; and the seal is affixed to the upper surface of the ECM.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further including: a gasket on the upper surface of the ECM and extending around the respective openings in the upper surface via which the gas channel extends; and an enclosure lid on the gasket and configured and arranged with the gasket to define a sealed portion of the gas channel extending between the first and second membranes.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ECM has a lower surface that defines a portion of the chamber, further including protrusions extending from the lower surface into the chamber and configured and arranged to engage with the desiccant to fix the desiccant in place.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including protrusions extending from an inner sidewall of chamber, the protrusions being configured and arranged to fix the desiccant in place by engaging with the desiccant.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including: a hard disc drive enclosure configured and arranged to house the chamber, gas channel, membranes and seal; and a hard disc drive in the enclosure.
11. An apparatus comprising: an environmental control module (ECM) having: a desiccant chamber having a desiccant material therein; a first membrane in a pathway extending from the desiccant chamber through a first opening on an upper surface of the ECM, the first membrane being configured and arranged to pass moisture between the first opening and the desiccant chamber; a second membrane remote from the first membrane and extending in a portion of the pathway extending from the second membrane to a second opening on the upper surface of the ECM, the second membrane being configured and arranged to pass moisture between the pathway and circuitry external to the ECM via the second opening; a seal at the upper surface of the ECM and configured and arranged to seal the desiccant chamber and the first membrane in a portion of the pathway extending from the desiccant chamber; a gasket on the upper surface and extending around the respective openings therein; and an enclosure cover on the gasket and configured and arranged with the gasket to define and seal the pathway between the desiccant chamber and the second membrane.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the enclosure cover has an opening therein located laterally within a perimeter of the gasket; and the ECM is configured and arranged with the enclosure cover and gasket to: in a first state in which the seal is intact and hermetically seals the desiccant material in the desiccant chamber, provide an evacuation and fill path from the opening in the enclosure cover, past the gasket, through the second opening in the upper surface ECM and through the second membrane, and in a second state in which the seal has been broken, provide a sealed pathway extending from the desiccant in the desiccant chamber, respectively through the first membrane, the first opening, an area between the upper surface of the ECM and enclosure cover sealed by the gasket, the second opening and the second membrane.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further including an external seal configured and arranged to hermetically seal the opening in the enclosure cover, after the seal on the upper surface of the ECM has been broken, and to therein seal the pathway between the first and second openings in the upper surface of the ECM.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the gasket is compressed between an upper surface of the ECM around the first and second openings in the upper surface, and forms a perimeter around a sealed region between the upper surface of the ECM and the enclosure cover.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the ECM includes a first channel portion of the pathway having a sidewall that extends upward from an inner surface of the desiccant chamber to the first opening in the upper surface of the ECM, the first membrane being within the first channel portion and the first channel portion having a length sufficient to permit puncturing of the seal on the upper surface of the ECM without contacting the first membrane.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the ECM includes a second channel portion of the pathway having a sidewall that extends downward from the second opening in the upper surface of the ECM to the second membrane, and which facilitates the passage of gas between the second channel portion with the sidewall and across the second membrane into an enclosure in which the ECM is mounted.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the ECM includes a second channel portion of the pathway having a sidewall that extends downward from the second opening in the upper surface of the ECM to the second membrane, and which facilitates the passage of gas between the second channel portion with the sidewall and across the second membrane into an enclosure in which the ECM is mounted.
18. A method comprising: providing an enclosure having a data storage medium therein; providing an environmental control module (ECM) in the enclosure, the ECM having: a desiccant chamber having a desiccant material therein; a first membrane in a pathway extending from the desiccant chamber through a first opening on an upper surface of the ECM, the first membrane being configured and arranged to pass moisture between the first opening and the desiccant chamber; a second membrane remote from the first membrane and extending in a portion of the pathway extending from the second membrane to a second opening on the upper surface of the ECM, the second membrane being configured and arranged to pass moisture between the pathway and circuitry external to the ECM via the second opening; a seal at the upper surface of the ECM and configured and arranged to seal the desiccant chamber and the first membrane in a portion of the pathway extending from the desiccant chamber; providing a gasket on the upper surface of the ECM and extending around the respective openings therein; and providing an enclosure cover that seals the enclosure and that is configured and arranged with the gasket to define and seal the pathway between the desiccant chamber and the second membrane.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the enclosure cover includes an opening positioned with a perimeter of the gasket, further including: creating a permeability path between the desiccant chamber and the enclosure by puncturing the seal; evacuating and filling the enclosure by exhausting gas from the enclosure via the opening and the second membrane and subsequently filling the enclosure with an inert gas; and sealing the opening in the enclosure cover.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the enclosure cover includes an opening positioned with a perimeter of the gasket, further including: evacuating and filling the enclosure by exhausting gas from the enclosure via the opening and the second membrane and subsequently filling the enclosure with an inert gas, while using the seal at the upper surface of the ECM to prevent permeation of gas or humidity into or out of the desiccant chamber; after evacuating the enclosure, creating a permeability path between the desiccant chamber and the enclosure by puncturing the seal; and sealing the opening in the enclosure cover.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 23, 2018
April 6, 2021
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